New Jersey Assembly Bill A1045

New Jersey 2022-2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/11/22
• Refer: 1/11/22

Caption

Dedicates State reserve of certain federal funds to in-person and hybrid school districts.

Impact

The bill is designed to reward those districts that made substantial efforts to maintain in-person schooling during a significant crisis, addressing concerns about the quality of education during virtual learning. This targeted financial support is expected to help these districts recover costs associated with the operations of providing in-person education, which included additional health and safety measures mandated by the pandemic. The legislation seeks to ensure that districts that adhered to in-person learning guidelines receive equitable funding to reflect their unique contributions to education during the pandemic.

Summary

Assembly Bill A1045 aims to allocate a portion of the state's federal funding to support school districts that offered significant in-person or hybrid instruction during the 2020-2021 school year. The bill specifies that funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief II (ESSER II) Fund will be distributed on a per-pupil basis. However, distinctions are made between 'in-person school districts'—those providing in-person instruction for at least 75% of school days—and 'hybrid school districts,' which provided such instruction for more than 25% but less than 75% of school days. In-person districts are set to receive 1.5 times the funding amount of hybrid districts, thereby incentivizing a return to classroom-based learning amid the pandemic's challenges.

Contention

While the bill has garnered support among many lawmakers, there are concerns regarding equity and fairness in resource allocation. Critics argue that districts unable to meet the defined thresholds for in-person instruction—including those that may have had severe COVID-19 outbreaks or other exceptional circumstances—may be unjustly penalized through lack of funding. Supporters counter that the bill promotes a shift back to in-person education, emphasizing the necessity of restoring educational environments parallel to pre-pandemic conditions for students.